National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986 note: suspended 25 May 1993 by President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president
Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Alvaro Enrique ARZU
Irigoyen (since 14 January 1996); Vice President Luis Alberto FLORES
Asturias (since 14 January 1996); results - Alvaro Enrique ARZU
Irigoyen (PAN) 51.2%, Jorge PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 48.8%; ARZU was
elected for a four-year term by universal suffrage; election runoff
held on 14 January 1996 (next to be held November 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers was named by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica): elections were
held on 12 November 1995 to select 80 new congressmen (next election
will be held in November 2000); results - seats (80 total) PAN 43,
FRG 21, FDNG 6, DCG 4, UCN 3, UD 2, MLN 1
note: on 11 November 1993 the congress approved a procedure that
reduced its number from 116 seats to 80; the procedure provided for
a special election in mid-1994 to elect an interim congress of 80
members to serve until replaced in the November 1995 general
election; the plan was approved in a general referendum in January
1994 and the special election was held on 14 August 1994
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de
Justicia); additionally the Court of Constitutionality is presided
over by the President of the Supreme Court, judges are elected for a
five-year term by Congress
Political parties and leaders: National Centrist Union (UCN),
(vacant); Solidarity Action Movement (MAS), Oliverio GARCIA Rodas;
Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Alfonso CABRERA Hidalgo; National
Advancement Party (PAN), Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen; National Liberation
Movement (MLN), Mario SANDOVAL Alarcon; Social Democratic Party
(PSD), Mario SOLORZANO Martinez; Revolutionary Party (PR), Carlos
CHAVARRIA Perez; Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), Efrain RIOS
Montt; Democratic Union (UD), Jose CHEA Urruela; New Guatemalan
Democratic Front (FDNG), Jorge GONZALEZ del Valle
Other political or pressure groups: Coordinating Committee of
Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations
(CACIF); Mutual Support Group (GAM); Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO);
Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC); leftist guerrilla movement
known as Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union (URNG) has four
main factions - Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP); Revolutionary
Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA); Rebel Armed Forces (FAR);
Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT/O)
International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC,
FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMIH, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO